USEFUL PROJECTS. 



399 



mole-hills, and the latter with fern 

 and moss. 



About 1000 acres of the lightest 

 part were separated from the rest 

 at one extremity, and formed what 

 is called the Norfolk farm : about 

 400 acres more at the other extre- 

 mity, of a good loamy soil, were se- 

 parated and called the Flemish 

 farm, both being named from the 

 nature of the husbandry meant to 

 be adopted upon them. 



The rest (about 2,400 acres) re- 

 mains still in plantations and park; 

 and though so much reduced, yet, 

 from the improvements which have 

 been made upon it, is now capable 

 of carrying more stock than the 

 whole 4000 acres did before. All 

 the unsound wet parts have been 

 drained by the Essex mode, so as to 

 be rendered firm, and jiroductive of 

 an improved herbage. The mole- 

 hills have been levelled, chiefly by 

 dragging, and the coarse and mossy 

 parts fined by repeated harrowing 

 and rolling (being one of the first 

 improvements upon park land of 

 this description) ; besides which, a 

 variety of beauty has been laid open, 

 by clearing the valleys and low 

 parts, to give a bolder eflfect to the 

 woody scenes upon the higher 

 ground; and by making judicious 

 openings, so as to break strait lines, 

 and separate parts that were in some 

 places too heavy and samely: so 

 that the extent of land has now not 

 only a much larger appearance, but 

 exhibits a much greater variety of 

 ground. The truth of this, every 

 impartial person who knew the 

 place before his majesty caused these 

 improvements to be made, must 

 allow. I have only to add, that 

 though prejudice may have taken 

 up an idea that there has been too 

 . great a sacrifice of timber in efi'ect- 



ing these improvements, truth will 

 deny it. There has not been a tree 

 taken down, but what was either in 

 decay, or removed either to give 

 room for the growth of others, or 

 to set them oiF to greater advantage 

 in picturesque appearance. 



I come now to the object in view, 

 as before hinted, which is to state 

 the motives which I am inclined 

 to think induced his majesty to 

 adopt the farming system upon so 

 large a scale, and next to shew the 

 result. — These I conceive were 

 chiefly to create useful labour for 

 the industrious poor in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and for trying experi- 

 ments in agriculture to excite imi- 

 tation where success might encou- 

 rage it. 



The Norfolk farm borders on 

 that extensive waste called Bagshot- 

 heath, hitherto considered too bar- 

 ren for cultivation, though large 

 tracts of a similar quality have been 

 long since rendered useful to the 

 community in the south-west part 

 of Norfolk. Arable land of this 

 description is generally managed 

 thereundera five-course shift; first, 

 wheat; second, turnips; third, bar- 

 ley with seeds, which continue laid 

 two years. But as the seeds turn 

 to very little account after the first 

 year, his majesty's, which though 

 a five-course shift likewise, of one 

 hundred acres in a shift, is 

 upon a much improved course of 

 cropping ; as thus — first, wheat or 

 rye ; second, the irregular shift ; 

 third, turnips ; fourth, barley or 

 oats ; fifth, clover. The irregular 

 shift, which is of great use on a 

 light land farm, may perhaps want 

 a little explanation. It is meant to 

 be partly productive, and partly 

 preparative. Forty acres of it are 

 sown with vetches, to be fed off; 



